Ripe citruses await visitors to pick. [Photo/qxnsdly.com]

At a time when much of the country is plagued with cold air and miserable rain, Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao autonomous prefecture is still basking under the warmth of the sun.

So why not pack up and exchange the winter blues for Guizhou province’s modest climate?

The prefecture has no harsh weather throughout the whole year and enjoys all-year-round sunshine. 

Fruits are harvested throughout the year and visitors can satisfy their taste buds with freshly-picked strawberries and oranges.

They can also appreciate the blooming flowers decorating the streets and parks. Bougainvillea is the most common flower in Qianxinan and can be found all over the prefecture throughout the whole year. Bauhinia and galsang flowers are also dotted among golden gingko trees and red coral trees. A sweet smell lingers in the air in January when sakura and wintersweet come into bloom.

Qianxinan is also a major inhabited area of Bouyei, Miao and Yi ethnic groups. Lucky visitors might stumble upon a wedding ceremony, festival or special music and dances performance from ethnic groups in traditional costumes.

If that’s not enough to warm you up in winter, then a bowl of mutton rice noodle, a Qinglong specialty, certainly will.

Edited by Jacob Hooson